NORFOLK, Va. -- A Navy hazing case that led to the firing of the top enlisted officer aboard a nuclear submarine was sparked by gay jokes about a sailor who said another man tried to rape him while in a foreign port, according to an investigative report obtained by The Associated Press.

The report sheds light on a hazing case that led to the reassignment of Master Chief Machinist's Mate Charles Berry, who had been serving as "chief of the boat" on the Kings Bay, Ga.-based USS Florida. The Navy announced March 30 that Capt. Stephen Gillespie had relieved Berry as chief, due to dereliction of duty. Aboard a submarine, the chief of the boat advises the commanding officer of issues involving enlisted sailors. The Navy's announcement said the case involved allegations of hazing aboard Florida, but gave no details. It said Berry was not involved in the hazing, but had knowledge of it and failed to inform his chain of command.

Lt. Brian Wierzbicki, spokesman for Kings Bay's submarine force, said Saturday he did not immediately have a contact number for Berry. The AP left a voice mail message at a phone listed for a Charles Berry in St. Marys, Ga.

An investigative report obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act says the hazing was directed at a sailor who had reported that another man pulled a knife and tried to rape him while in the port at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Hazing? What is described as “hazing” is commonplace on the boats. Usually, boat sailors are psychologically screened to avoid this kind of stuff. In other words, if you can’t take the heat then get out of the kitchen.

And these are supposed to be our “warriors”? Yeah, right. What’s gonna happen when they confront a real enemy of the US? Are they gonna cry, roll into a tight ball and wait for an authoritative figure to come stop the fight/shooting?

Read the whole article....from what is being reported, there is no hazing involved here—hazing generally occurs to new crew members. At worst, nothing more than prolonged verbal harassment. There seems to be more to this than what is in the story. I’m guessing the individual is especially sensitive and may have his own ‘issues’.

BTW, ‘hazing’ as it is called now is nothing more than traditional rites of passage. It’s how the mettle of a new crew member is tested. EVERYONE new to a boat will go through it in some form or another. True, some knuckleheads can take things too far, but for the most part it’s all in good fun, and it’s how a crew really comes together.

I endured my fair share. Someone who can’t deal with something that trivial, probably can’t handle the real stress of operating a boat, and ultimately shouldn’t be on the boat to begin with. Not everyone’s cut out for it.

Finally the parents of slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry have an answer why the press didn’t care about the murder of their son... The MSM was looking for a REAL story of pain - and they’ve found it. Some gay guy had his thin skin pricked by a joke....300 dead Latinos and their families now understand too...

The ‘doting court eunuchs’ of the MSM fail to notice...

25
posted on 06/24/2012 2:57:05 PM PDT
by GOPJ
(The 'doting court eunuchs' of the MSM fail to notice...)

Finally the parents of slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry have an answer why the press didn’t care about the murder of their son... The MSM was looking for a REAL story of pain - and they’ve found it. Some gay guy had his thin skin pricked by a joke....300 dead Latinos and their families now understand too...

The ‘doting court eunuchs’ of the MSM fail to notice...

26
posted on 06/24/2012 2:57:31 PM PDT
by GOPJ
(The 'doting court eunuchs' of the MSM fail to notice...)

The Ohio class boats have two steering wheels operated by two sailors. One of the steering wheels controls the hydroplanes on the stern and the other steering wheel controls the stern rudder and the horizontal fins at the sail.

The sailors can steer the boat by using the stern rudder to turn starboard or port and the hydroplanes to control the fore-aft angle of the submarine.

Read the whole article....from what is being reported, there is no hazing involved herehazing generally occurs to new crew members. At worst, nothing more than prolonged verbal harassment. There seems to be more to this than what is in the story. Im guessing the individual is especially sensitive and may have his own issues. BTW, hazing as it is called now is nothing more than traditional rites of passage. Its how the mettle of a new crew member is tested. EVERYONE new to a boat will go through it in some form or another. True, some knuckleheads can take things too far, but for the most part its all in good fun, and its how a crew really comes together. I endured my fair share. Someone who cant deal with something that trivial, probably cant handle the real stress of operating a boat, and ultimately shouldnt be on the boat to begin with. Not everyones cut out for it.

I remember two hazings both were long standing traditional ones when I was in. The first involved a ship wide search for Wogs and riding the ship of them by initiation into the Order of The Shellback. The most disgusting part was kissing the Royal Baby's Belly. LOL

The second one went on for weeks. The straight out of basic noob would have his name posted as a piece of equipment on the shop MS Board with a code that usually meant Grease. When the hazing finally happened it was all hands in the shop were present except senior enlisted. The Noob would find himself suddenly being held by all limbs and a rope place around his legs. The noob was carefully hung by his feet from the overhead and his clothing pulled down. Into the clothing went a very generous portion of Graphite Grease then the clothing very snugly pulled back up and the guy let down. Total elapsed time maybe one minute.

Being a Snipe on a ship is dirty, filthy, hot work under the worse of conditions. A person having an avoidance to getting as greasy as Tar Baby is of little use. This gets most persons past it. Short of an accident or fire you have experienced the worse thing done to someone on a ship. That hazing done by Snipes was being ordered discontinued and becoming a punishable offense about the time I got out.

That hazing was done only once in your career by tradition. It was done a second time as a punishment or at least the threat of it was to deal with screw ups making everyone life miserable and keeping the shop in hot water. The newly initiated Snipe would be in on the next hazing.

31
posted on 06/24/2012 3:56:08 PM PDT
by cva66snipe
(Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)

My dad was on subs back in the ‘50’s. They used to tell the new crewmembers that they had to get out on the boat and sit on the prow to watch for obstructions in the water. The new crewmembers would walk out a ways and run back into the boat.

My dad was an Olympic swimmer who really enjoyed the ride. That’s the first time anyone actually did it that anybody knew about.

My dad was on subs back in the 50s. They used to tell the new crewmembers that they had to get out on the boat and sit on the prow to watch for obstructions in the water. The new crewmembers would walk out a ways and run back into the boat. My dad was an Olympic swimmer who really enjoyed the ride. Thats the first time anyone actually did it that anybody knew about.

Mail Buoy Watch was another tradition. We had a Foul Weather bell up on the forward starboard catwalk off the flightdeck. The guys on the Bridge could see it fine including the old man. You placed a Noob there and said now if you see a Buoy you ring the bell and wave your hands frantically at that guy up there on the bridge. We sent noobs around for a Bucket of Steam, a Light Bulb repair Kit and the best was a BT Punch. A BT was a Boiler Tech. noob came back and says everybody just laughed and hit my arm. In todays PC world I imagine tacking on a persons Crow { Hitting The Eagle on a new NCO’s rank insignia} would be punishable now.

We did have several swim calls where the Captain stopped the ship and we got to swim. The tough part was we had to climb down a cargo net from the hanger deck to the water and back up. There were Marines watching with rifles in case sharks popped up LOL.

37
posted on 06/24/2012 4:53:43 PM PDT
by cva66snipe
(Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)

Our mail buoy noob had to put on a complete foul weather suit, equipped with spot lights strapped on to each side of his head, THEN he was told to go to every crew member on watch and ask if they had any mail to send.

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